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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. band — a ring
  3. wax — to grow
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. kid — to tease
  7. band — a music group
  8. wind — moving air
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. charge — in control
  14. current — electric
  15. current — happening now
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. rock — a stone
  18. kid — child
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. rock — music
  21. charge — a price
  22. charge — electricity
  23. wind — moving air
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com